Science in Society

Suspect Confessions

Friday 22 February, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Suitability: 16 Yrs+

£5

Have you ever admitted to something you didn’t do? At home? At work? What would it take to own up to breaking the law? It’s surprisingly common for innocent people to confess to crimes they haven’t committed. For juries, confessions trump most other forms of evidence. Some people voluntarily confess things they are innocent of, yet vulnerable suspects can be lead to confess by some forms of police interviewing. From personality factors to lies, threats and torture, Dr Faye Skelton (Edinburgh Napier University) explores the psychology of false confessions and what we can do to prevent them.